This is a great day trip out of The Dalles and options abound for adding or subtracting from the loop. We love hitting up this area throughout Portland’s rainy winter to enjoy the sunshine and warmer weather. While the views aren’t always as spectacular as the DM60 ride, it’s still great riding on very low trafficked roads.All of the paved and gravel roads out here are in great shape, so the area is ripe for exploration. Eight Mile and Fifteen Mile are the only flat-ish roads, so expect lots of climbing. The route includes a few crappy miles on US-197. It’s over quickly and allows for a sweet backdoor return to The Dalles.